As any honest merchant will tell you, the Nibelung are known for making the finest of weapons; and as any general will tell you, they fear the day that they must meet the Nibelung in battle and sleep much easier knowing that the Nibelung do not make war. But they will answer its call.

Nibelung are an ancient race created by Garguth. They were originally formed from the living stone of the caves themselves, but contact with the light and open air changed them forever. Deep in their caves, they fought a war for hundreds of years against the forces of the undead, forging them forever into a race of battle-hardened warriors. During this war, a strange wanderer created a set of runes on the cave walls. Touching the runes bestowed upon the early Nibelung the ability to resist magics, particularly those revolving around the undead.

Now the Nibelung are a seclusive race of creators, producing the finest blacksmithed goods in the known world. Although they remain reclusive, they allow a limited amount of trade with the Eraes and humans as well as the Shamani.

Names are very important to Nibelung, who have an old saying, “The only thing seen of the dead is their tombstone.” A child’s name has four parts, their given name, their family name, and their job name, followed by their clan.

Nibelung are extraordinarily religious, the King also being a cleric of Garguth. Politics and religion are intimately intertwined, creating interesting effects as more and more Nibelung are exposed to different religions. Despite being highly religious, there are not a much higher number of clerics than among other races, and most Nibelung take professions that do not involve the church directly.

Nibelung may take the skill Resist Magic, pay one point less to the first three purchases of Blacksmithing, and only pay half for their first Weapon Mastery. They have to pay double for Minor Scrolling, Detect Magic, Dispel Magic and Read Arcane. They also pay two extra points for Use Poison, Feign Unconscious, and Pick Locks.

Costuming/Makeup

Due to their ancient pact, all Nibelung children are born with runes that give them the ability to resist magic. These runes cover the face and hands of all Nibelung, but vary in type and colors from individual to individual.

Nibelung dress practically for their profession, and prefer armors and items of metal over cloth and other materials. Warriors prefer heavy armor; smiths prefer leather smocks that protect against heat, etc. While they value gems and jewels, and often make very fine jewelry, they tend to put it on display rather than wear it, seeing it more as a work of art than as a practical item for keeping and storing.